First US university announces scholarships for gamers

Listen up, eSports fans. The University of California, Irvine, announced that it was launching a scholarship program, starting in fall 2016, for League of Legends players.

The university will provide ten scholarships, which include half-tuition (worth $5.500) and will be awarded to the university's collegiate League of Legends team.

Los Angeles-based Riot Games, the studio which developed League of Legends, has pledged its support for the University of California's eSports initiative.

The university plans to open a 3,500 square foot gaming arena inside the university's student centre for its thriving gaming community. eSports are often played in organised multi-player tournaments, which are live-streamed and watched worldwide.

“It has been a dream for many of us on campus that UCI recognise the importance of e-sports and create a space and a program that caters to the large community of gamers at the university,” said Jesse Wang, president of The Association of Gamers.

“We hope to attract the best gamers from around the world, and our academic programs in computer gaming science, digital arts, computer science, engineering, anthropology, law, medicine, neuroscience and behavior create a strong foundation for research and inquiry related to gaming,” Thomas Parham, vice chancellor for student affairs, further elaborates the university's decision to support gaming, which traditionally holds little importance within the academic sphere.